One thing that Walt Disney envisioned for Disneyland and Disney World is that the parks would continually change and evolve — and that’s certainly been the case.
Over the past few years alone, we’ve seen numerous changes announced for Disney World, including three brand-new lands, an expansion, and updates for rides. However, there are some ride updates that Disney has made that they didn’t make such a fuss about, but these updates have kept the rides relevant and current. So let’s take a look at those changes.
Peter Pan’s Flight
Peter Pan’s Flight closed temporarily in 2024 for a little over a month, and when it reopened, the scene with the Neverland Tribe’s harvest celebration got a change. The characters were previously depicted all sitting on the ground, but now a turntable appears in the scene, and Tiger Lily and her great-grandmother are moving.
New designs were also introduced on the teepees. Previously, there was a buffalo, a bird, and a sun. Now there’s a turtle, the “second star to the right,” and a paw print. There’s also a large drum being played instead of the two smaller drums that were there previously.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean once featured a scene in which an auctioneer… auctioned off women. In 2018, Disney finally decided this was a bad idea and completely redesigned the scene. The main woman on the auction block, known only as “the redhead,” was replaced by Redd, a red-headed female pirate captain.
Redd is now auctioning off goods, instead of people. Granted, the scene’s replacement ruffled some feathers, but overall, the new scene works beautifully.
Jungle Cruise
In 2021, some of Jungle Cruise’s scenes and stories were revamped. The new story features Alberta Falls, the granddaughter of Dr. Albert Falls, the man who founded the Jungle Cruise Navigation Company. The rhino scene was updated to include some of her friends.
Other updated scenes included some chimps taking over another boat, while other chimps take over a campsite. The ride also swapped out Trader Sam and his shrunken heads with the Trader Sam’s Gift Shop.
Carousel of Progress
The Carousel of Progress’s finale has had a hard time keeping up with the times, but in 2022, the scene finally got an update. This update finally put the family in more modern clothing, with some characters even getting updated hairstyles.
These changes were so minor that we wonder if anyone noticed. However, a HUGE change is coming to the Carousel of Progress soon: a Walt Disney animatronic will be added as part of an intro to the attraction.
Country Bear Jamboree
The poor Country Bears had been singing the same songs in Magic Kingdom since 1971, so they were overdue for an update. In 2024, the Country Bears got new scenes AND new music, featuring iconic Disney songs.
The bears also got some new outfits to go along with their new tunes.
“it’s a small world”
In 2022, Disneyland’s version of “it’s a small world” was changed to include two new dolls in wheelchairs. In 2023, a similar change came to Disney World. The update appears at the beginning of the attraction — you can see the new doll in a wheelchair on the right.
In both Disneyland and Disney World, “it’s a small world” also recently got a whole new verse, so be sure to listen for it.
PeopleMover
In 2022, the PeopleMover finally got an update that you might not have noticed if you don’t listen carefully. The ride got new narration and dialogue.
The new narration mentions TRON Lightcycle / Run, which opened in Magic Kingdom in 2023.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
When Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, and Kilimanjaro Safaris opened with it, the Safaris ride actually had a storyline revolving around poaching. The safari truck was radioed by a scientist who was tracking down elephant poachers. The ride then became a wild pursuit in the safari truck.
If you’ve been on Kilimanjaro Safaris recently, though, you’ll know it’s now just an educational ride through the savanna where you can see animals, learn more about them, and snap some photos.
It’s likely Disney will continue to update rides as the world progresses, so you might want to keep an eye out for these small kinds of changes.
Check back with AllEars again soon for more.
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What do you think about these changes? Share with us in the comments!
have to disagree that the redd scene works beautifully. its just cringy, lame, & overall terrible. really changed the feel for the ride.